The Children of Westminster Abbey: Studies in English HistoryKingsley, Rose Georgina
History
The Children of Westminster Abbey: Studies in English History
Kingsley, Rose Georgina
Children -- England -- London; Westminster Abbey -- Biography
He was allowed twenty pounds per week for the diet of the
princess and of her suite, consisting of six rockers, and
several inferior attendants; but the king took upon himself
the payment of their wages, the expenses of her removals
from house to house, of her apparel, coach and horses,
etc.[56]
[Illustration: THE MONUMENTS OF PRINCESS SOPHIA AND PRINCESS MARY.]
Lady Knyvett took the greatest care of her little charge. But children
were badly understood in those times. Badly nursed, and fed, and
clothed, two thirds of the babies that were born in England died. It was
only the very strong ones who could survive their bringing-up. Think
only of that stuffy cradle of "carnation velvet," and the "mantles of
unshorn velvet," and the bibs "wrought with gold and colored silks."
Hot, uncomfortable, unhealthy things--one shudders to think of a little
tender baby in such garments. Then think of the utter ignorance of most
of the physicians of those days; and of the appalling disregard of
ventilation, baths, and proper food. What wonder, then, that little
Princess Mary did not live long. When she was scarcely more than two
years old she caught a violent cold, which settled on her lungs with
burning fever. The queen came constantly to see her little girl. But no
tenderness or skill availed; and after a month's illness the little
creature sank on the sixth of September, 1607. For fourteen hours
there was no sound of any word heard breaking from her lips;
yet when it sensibly appeared that she would soon make a
peaceable end of a troublesome life, she sighed out these
words, "I go, I go!"[57]
And again when some stimulant was given her she looked up and said,
"Away, I go." And yet once more she repeated faintly "I go;" and so went
home.
Thus another "royal rosebud" was laid beside the baby Sophia at Queen
Elizabeth's feet.
On her monument Princess Mary is represented lying on her side,
half-raised on one elbow which rests upon an embroidered pillow, with
one chubby little hand uplifted and clenched. She wears a
straight-waisted bodice which looks as stiff as armor; an immensely full
skirt that stands out all round her waist; a close lace cap; and a great
square collar--the first representation in the Abbey, as far as I
recollect, of those square collars that were soon to take the place of
the beautiful Elizabethan ruff. At the corners of her tomb sit four fat
weeping cherubs, one of whom has his hands raised in a perfect agony of
grief. And a nice fierce little lion lies at the child's feet, looking
very alert, and on the watch to guard his young mistress from harm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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